French strikes target Libyan air base
Source: Agencies |
March 25, 2011, Friday
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FRENCH airstrikes hit an air base deep inside Libya and NATO ships patrolled the coast to block arms and mercenaries from flowing in to help Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. Other coalition bombers struck artillery, tanks and parked helicopters, officials said yesterday.
Libyan state television yesterday showed blackened and mangled bodies it said were victims of airstrikes in Tripoli, the capital.
The French strikes overnight hit a base about 250 kilometers south of the Libyan coastline, French military spokesman Thierry Burkhard said in Paris without elaborating on the target or possible damage.
In Tripoli, Libyan deputy foreign minister Khaled Kaim said the "military compound at Juffra" was among the targets hit before dawn. Juffra is one of at least two air bases deep in Libya's interior, on main routes leading from neighboring countries in the Sahara region that have been suppliers of arms and fighters for Gadhafi.
NATO warships began patrolling on Wednesday off Libya's Mediterranean coast in an effort the blockade's commander described as "closing the main front door" to weapons and mercenaries for Gadhafi. Vice Admiral Rinaldo Veri said the Mediterranean was the most efficient way to get weapons into Libya and that it was impossible to patrol its entire coast. He expected to have enough vessels in place in a few days for effective operations.
Veri said NATO was prepared to send armed forces onto any suspect ships that don't voluntarily submit to inspections.
"If they should find resistance, the use of force is necessary," he said, noting that the Security Council had mandated all means necessary to enforce the embargo.
Coalition bombers, planes and ships continued to strike at Gadhafi positions, including artillery, tanks, an ammunition bunker and a small number of helicopters at an airfield along the coast, a US defense official said yesterday.
More than a dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired from US and British ships in the Mediterranean Sea late on Wednesday and early yesterday, their targets including Gadhafi's air defense missile sites in Tripoli and south of the capital. Other attacks were launched against an ammunition bunker near Misrata and forces south of Benghazi, the official said.
The UN Security Council authorized the embargo and no-fly zone to protect Libyan civilians after Gadhafi launched attacks against anti-government protesters who wanted him to leave after 42 years in power. But rebel advances have foundered, and the two sides have been at stalemate in key cities such as Misrata and Ajdabiya, the gateway to the opposition's eastern stronghold.
Ajdabiya has been under siege for more than a week, with the rebels holding the city center but facing relentless shelling from government troops positioned on the outskirts.
Residents fleeing the violence said the situation inside the city has deteriorated in recent days. Two airstrikes targeted the area early yesterday, said a rebel, Taha el-Hassadi.
Government troops also continued barraging Misrata yesterday but were forced to roll back tanks periodically amid coalition airstrikes.
Libyan state television yesterday showed blackened and mangled bodies it said were victims of airstrikes in Tripoli, the capital.
The French strikes overnight hit a base about 250 kilometers south of the Libyan coastline, French military spokesman Thierry Burkhard said in Paris without elaborating on the target or possible damage.
In Tripoli, Libyan deputy foreign minister Khaled Kaim said the "military compound at Juffra" was among the targets hit before dawn. Juffra is one of at least two air bases deep in Libya's interior, on main routes leading from neighboring countries in the Sahara region that have been suppliers of arms and fighters for Gadhafi.
NATO warships began patrolling on Wednesday off Libya's Mediterranean coast in an effort the blockade's commander described as "closing the main front door" to weapons and mercenaries for Gadhafi. Vice Admiral Rinaldo Veri said the Mediterranean was the most efficient way to get weapons into Libya and that it was impossible to patrol its entire coast. He expected to have enough vessels in place in a few days for effective operations.
Veri said NATO was prepared to send armed forces onto any suspect ships that don't voluntarily submit to inspections.
"If they should find resistance, the use of force is necessary," he said, noting that the Security Council had mandated all means necessary to enforce the embargo.
Coalition bombers, planes and ships continued to strike at Gadhafi positions, including artillery, tanks, an ammunition bunker and a small number of helicopters at an airfield along the coast, a US defense official said yesterday.
More than a dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired from US and British ships in the Mediterranean Sea late on Wednesday and early yesterday, their targets including Gadhafi's air defense missile sites in Tripoli and south of the capital. Other attacks were launched against an ammunition bunker near Misrata and forces south of Benghazi, the official said.
The UN Security Council authorized the embargo and no-fly zone to protect Libyan civilians after Gadhafi launched attacks against anti-government protesters who wanted him to leave after 42 years in power. But rebel advances have foundered, and the two sides have been at stalemate in key cities such as Misrata and Ajdabiya, the gateway to the opposition's eastern stronghold.
Ajdabiya has been under siege for more than a week, with the rebels holding the city center but facing relentless shelling from government troops positioned on the outskirts.
Residents fleeing the violence said the situation inside the city has deteriorated in recent days. Two airstrikes targeted the area early yesterday, said a rebel, Taha el-Hassadi.
Government troops also continued barraging Misrata yesterday but were forced to roll back tanks periodically amid coalition airstrikes.
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